Mio Learns to Love?
by bloodypeachpudding
Summary: Momose's on her way to Korea to get married. With the new plot for Dark Moon in hand, how will Director Ogata and President Takarada solve the problem? How will Kyoko and Ren react to the twist? Will they finally realise their true feelings for each other
1. The Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!**

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Chapter 1 – the Meeting

Director Ogata cleared his throat. Good afternoon, everyone," he said. He adjusted his tie uncomfortably before continuing, "I'm so sorry to call for a meeting on such short notice, but Momose-san has an announcement to make."

Kyoko Mogami turned eagerly to her dear friend, Itsumi Momose, who gracefully rose from her seat on the opposite end of the room. She failed to notice the director still fiddling with his tie, cold sweat dripping down his face.

"W-Well," Itsumi stammered. "I'll be m-moving away from Japan to Korea this coming July to get m-married." Her face was a beetroot red, her hands tucked sheepishly behind her back.

Fanshui Iizuka's head fell into her hands in exasperation.

Tsuruga Ren's gentlemanly smile appeared in full force.

Director Ogata shrunk even further into his chair.

Basically, the news wasn't good…

Well, almost.

Kyoko leapt towards Itsumi and crushed her in a hug. "Momose-chan! Congratulations!" She squealed loudly. Ren, who had been watching Kyoko the entire time, let a smile grace his lips as Kyoko continued squeezing the life out of Itsumi.

The jubilation didn't last very long. Soon, realization hit Kyoko like a rocket in a failed re-entry. Her face fell a thousand miles. "Ogata-sama? Momose-chan's role…is the lead female, 'Mizuki'…How will we continue the filming of Dark Moon as planned?"

Ren's brow was furrowed as he considered this inconvenience for the umpteenth time. He had long been informed of this…event, but Ogata spoke up first. The pale man was evidently stressed and still highly uncomfortable.

"Takarada-sama has come up with a solution for Momose-san's departure," Ogata spoke to the actors. "As the conflict in "Misao" 's and "Katsuki" 's relationship is crucial in the story, we've spun the plot to work with the characters we already have."

"We've decided that "Mio" will learn to love "Katsuki" even under their unlikely circumstances. Hence, let me run you all through the new plot." He continued unsteadily, as if preparing for a huge rejection.

_-Insert about an hour's worth of script-review here-_

As Ogata finished summarizing the script for everyone, Kyoko's eyes were wide and sparkly. _Kyaa…Mio…can finally be returned to the pure princess she is! _The people sitting to her right and left leaned away as she daydreamed dangerously.

Her sparkly fairies – the kind that only appeared when she was seriously on the edge of delusion, stuffed the room full. She darted back to her beloved corn as she thought about his fully-grown wings…high in Fairyland with his fairy friends….

Everyone's eyes darted to Kyoko's and they all felt suddenly uncomfortable. The newest actor, Ryuji, who would be playing the new character "Tsume", had a very uncomfortable look in his eyes and wondered quietly aloud, "Is she always like this?"

Ryuji had come to admire Kyoko as an actress, with the immense scary aura she could project through a television. However, when he had first met her in person, she had a (overly) cheerful demeanour, with one of the tightest hugs and brightest smiles he'd ever seen.

Only Ren could keep his cool, expecting her reaction to the twist in the plot. The night before, President Takarada had already informed him of the change as a 'favour' to Ren. However, he suddenly felt the wind knocked out of him as he finally realized something. _(A Note from Tabitha: Yes, he's got a very thick skull.)_

Kyoko played the role of Mio.

Across the room, Kyoko's cheeks flushed the deepest shade of red as she considered this as well. _Momose …Momose Onee-sama and Yashiro-san have told me about Tsuruga-Senpai's co-stars having a tendency to fall in love with him…What if I end up falling for him the same way I fell for Shotaro? What if I suffer a second heartbreak?_

"So…what do you all think?" President Lory Takarada's voice boomed through the meeting room, making all the actors jump in shock. A small blonde head poked out from behind his legs, her eyes scanning the room.

In a flash, Maria Takarada had attacked Kyoko with full force and pushed her to the floor in a giant hug. "Onee-sama! I've missed you at work today," she pouted at Kyoko, who smiled in response. "Maria," Kyoko told her off sternly, "I'm in a meeting now, go and play with Moko-san."

"It's okay, Kyoko-chan," Ogata called. "The meeting is over. You're excused –Maria-chan can take you anywhere she likes." Maria squealed in delight.

"Thank you, Ogata-sama!" Kyoko bowed before Maria dragged her off. However, before she could leave, she felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around.

Ren smiled at her flustered appearance. "Mogami-san," he greeted her. "Would you be so kind as to come for dinner tonight at my place? Perhaps, if you like, you could cook…" Kyoko's eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

"Of course, Tsuruga-san," she bowed hastily. "Now if I can excuse myself, Maria is beginning to pull very hard. I should go!" Maria wrenched Kyoko from the room and dragged her off to play with her black magic artefacts.

_If only she knew…_When Ren had caught her shoulder, he resisted every urge to hold her in his arms, thanking whatever lucky stars he had for his superior acting skills. Yukihito Yashiro walked up to his side, waving his infamous planner in front of Ren's face. "You're thinking of her too much again, Ren, your face is slipping," he commented dryly.

Ren turned his gentlemanly smile to full power. "What are you talking about, Yashiro-san?" The latter just cringed lightly, used to his manipulation with the smile. He muttered to himself, "yeah, sure…"

The duo walked to Ren's car, in a hurry to get to their next appointment at LME.

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	2. Dinner at Ren's Place

**Diclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat!**

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**Chapter 2 – Dinner**

Ren sat on the couch in his apartment, waiting for Kyoko to arrive. He sighed, thinking of the last time Kyoko had come over…he had very nearly showed her what he really felt…nearly kissed her.

Speaking of Kyoko…_Oh Shoot! _He thought suddenly. Disastrous, it would be…Kyoko would be disappointed, she would be angry, she might… Ren's mind raced past the many possibilities.

His fridge was was going to kill hi– _Ding Dong. _

_"_Tsuruga-senpai?" He could hear her outside the door, along with a pang in his heart. _Only her senpai. _"Will you let me in?"

He sighed heavily, opening the door for Kyoko. Her arms were laden with many plastic bags. Ren eyed them like they were weapons of mass destruction. However, he shifted his eyes to her face, surprised to see a smile.

"Senpai, I demand to see your fridge," her aura turned dangerous and deadly. Ren gulped, his eyes wide. She gave him a thorny glare and stormed into his kitchen. He swore he saw the entire kitchen turn an evil black and dark plum colours.

Kyoko didn't come out, so Ren carefully moved into the kitchen. She had laid down her bags, each filled with ridiculous amounts of food. Her movements were silent yet quick as she stirred some kind of batter. He snuck up behind her, putting his hands on either side of the bowl on the counter.

She flushed at the intimate closeness. _Why am I feeling this way? He's only my senpai; he could never look at a girl like me anyway. I can't fall for him just because he's my co-star now...can I? _Kyoko turned around with her eggbeater, deciding to scold him for his lack of food.

"Tsuruga Ren! What did you eat for lunch" Her voice trailed off, soft and evil. Ren unconsciously took a step back. "A–a bento box…" he lied smoothly to her face. She switched into "Natsu", taking a step forward, caressing his cheek with her free hand.

"Really, senpai…I'm glad." Kyoko smiled seductively. She closed her eyes, leaning in…freaking Ren out. _She…where did all this maturity come from?! _He decided to play along, savouring the moment.

One kiss couldn't hurt…could it? Just before they're lips met, Kyoko made a snap switch back to herself. Starting to hit him with the eggbeater, she scolded him.

"Don't lie to me! No one can run out of food with your kind of money!" She yelled. The eggbeater flung some batter into his face as he backed into the kitchen counter.

She ran over, cleaning the batter off his face worriedly. "Ah…Tsuruga-san, gomen…" He closed his hand over an egg, conveniently lying on the counter behind him. "Payback," he said simply, crushing the egg on her red-gold hair.

Kyoko just looked at him dumbly for about two seconds. Then, a glint appeard in her eyes…if he wanted a fight, he would get one.

If only she wasn't ticklish…Ren had reached out and found her sensitive spots while she considered the best technique to bring him to his knees. She ran out of the kitchen, coming to a dead stop at the couch.

He had given chase, shocked to see she had stopped. Unfortunately, he crashed into her, pushing the duo over the edge, only to have Ren land on top of Kyoko, in a very compromising and awkward position.

Ren used every last shred of his acting skill to keep himself from turning into the Emperor of the Night, ducking his head and kissing her. She flushed again, so hard that she invented a new colour. _I shouldn't be feeling this way for Senpai! Stop it, Kyoko…_On the other side…_She'll never forgive you if you do it, Ren…Hold off! _

He got off her immediately, albeit reluctantly, offering her his hand. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly– he knew we wasn't light. "I'm fine, thanks," came Kyoko's reply, although her head was evidently in the clouds.

_He reminds me of something, _her mind whirred to think of what. _It's Something… Someone… close. Pretty close indeed, but who? Shotaro? No… He's too gentle, too kind. Shit, did I just say that?_

Ren watched her as she stressed herself thinking. She had gotten up pretty unconsciously and walked to back to the kitchen, attending to the batter again. He sunk his face into his hands and sighed, depressed. How could he hold off her, especially when Mio ends up looking at Katsuki with the love he longed for?

He tried to stop thinking about it – it would help him lose too much sleep and eye bags would cause a few problems with his jobs. He heard the sound of the gas being turned on and ingredients being dropped into a stew of sorts. The cake seemed to have moved into the oven already.

About an hour later, Kyoko and Ren sat in silence, chewing the delicious beef stew, sitting across each other. They cleared their plates in silence, Ren completely not aware of what he was doing.

He almost leapt out of his chair when Kyoko leaned over his shoulder, her face dangerously close to him, hoarsely whispering, "Can I take your plate, senpai?" His face paled considerably, taking into consideration that he was already so pale to start with. She chuckled the way he loved it and took his plate away.

As he watched her in her bright pink apron walking away, he sighed again. It was going to be an extremely long night. After all, he wanted to…practice with her. It would be difficult, after all, Mio and Katsuki _married_.

He would thank Ogata later.

Kyoko, on the other hand, had her heart pounding as fast as a hummingbird's. _Not even filming yet and _already _falling for him…I'm a sucker. It's going to be a very long drama indeed._


	3. Marriage! No way

**Disclaimer: **Skip Beat! Belongs to Yoshiki Nakamura. WE, on the other hand, own this spinoff story.

**Chapter 3 – Marriage?! No way.**

Most of the crew froze in place when the dark, creepy aura bled into the set of "Dark Moon" from the dressing rooms, with the viscosity of something dark and dangerous. Mio stepped out as gracefully as ever, clad in her white gown for the shooting.

Her strapless gown was embedded with tiny diamonds, making her glitter under the large lights of the church set. The white satin gloves reached her mid-upper arm. The pretty sapphire necklace complemented the ensemble.

There was the final touch for Mio's costume – the veil. In the second season of Dark Moon, Mio had decided to leave her hair slightly longer, maintaining her fringe in the front. It had been pinned up for her 'big day' with her apparent favourite, Casablanca lilies. The white veil reached her upper torso, sheer and almost invisible.

~Meanwhile~

Ren stepped out of his dressing room, in his white tux. The makeup artist and female camera crew swooned. He stuffed his hands in his pockets in frustration. He had his hair as he always did – covering his eyes, messy and windblown.

Mio spotted Katsuki from afar and crumbled away. Kyoko started trembling, thinking too hard for her own good. _We're shooting the matrimonial scene today…_she thought. _Afterwards, we have the scene where both Mio and Katsuki are facing their parents with the news._

She had lost hours of sleep thinking of how Mio would ever fall in love with Katsuki. After days and weeks, she realised one important factor in Mio's character – she believed strongly no one cared for her at all. _Katsuki is supposed to try to bring out her softer side…could Mio start to believe he cared, even a little, for her?_

Interrupting her train of thought, Director Ogata called for Katsuki and Mio to be on the set on standby. She gathered up the folds of her dress and ran to the door of the large church. Obviously, being Kyoko, she tripped over the silver, strappy stilettos.

Instead of hitting the ground and seriously injuring herself, she felt someone's arm catch her just inches from the ground. Her eyes were squeezed shut, awaiting the impact. When it didn't come, she opened her eyes, only to see Ren's relieved face smiling down upon her.

_THE DIVINE SMILE! _Her demons were severely disturbed. "Please be more careful, Kyoko-chan." He gently set her back on her feet. She blushed hard, mumbling her thanks. As Ogata yelled over the studio again, they rushed to their respective positions with a backward smile. Smoothing out the gown, Kyoko quickly snapped back into Mio.

"Okay! Lights!" the Director's voice could be heard from afar. "Camera!" Mio grudgingly took her father's offered hand, ignoring his nervous smile in her direction. "Action!"

_The intricate gold doors opened slowly to reveal Mio Hongo, Katsuki's bride. Katsuki kept a neutral face. He should have been honoured to marry a lady of such high class. He should have been happy she had even agreed to it. _

_But all he could think of was Mizuki's smiling face and how much his heart ached to see her in the crowd. Witnessing his marriage to her cousin. _It's no use, _he decided, focusing all his attention on his wife-to-be walking down the aisle on her father's arm._

_It had been only a week since her parents had faced them with the news. Katsuki's parents had been in desperate need of money and the Hongo family had been desperate to find a suitor for their ice princess of a daughter, Mio. _

_It was a huge shock for both of them, especially to the latter. She still held her strong grudges against Katsuki, now her husband-to-be, for playing with Misao and for cheating on her with stolen glances at Mizuki. She berated herself for not being able to put up a stronger fight with her parents._

_She had even silently taken part in the gown fitting, rehearsals and the wedding planning. Why? She was so dead and mindless that it scared her. She decided that she would make life difficult for her husband._

_As she looked forward, she decided, VERY difficult._

_Katsuki took his bride's hand gently in his, taking her from her father, not wanting to use more force than necessary to aggravate her mood. For being a great actor, her father teared while giving his precious daughter away. No one believed it, let alone her ice princess herself. She had a plain expression of relent on her face, failing to even cast a glance back to her parents and relatives._

_Both of them stared into their respective spaces during the ceremony until the pastor tapped Mio lightly on the shoulder, bringing her out of her dream world, but earning the whole congregation a temperature drop, himself a death glare and Katsuki a light pressure on his fingers as he continued holding her hand. He was mildly worried for her – where was the stubborn spirit that was all hers?_

_"Mio, do you take Katsuki to be your lawfully wedded husband?" He continued on with the ceremony, his voice about to crack. In fact, he looked so positively terrified he might have cried. He hid behind the book, the candle he was holding making the flame visibly shake. _

_She hesitated for about two seconds. If she said no, she would be disowned, then disinherited. Her scarlet lips, painted for the occasion, parted…"I do," she sighed, gritting her teeth, her eyes narrowed. The lilies in her bouquet seemed to dull a shade as Mio watched her feet – well, the hem of her dress, anyway – as her cheeks lightly flushed while the anger slowly built up within her. It was surprising how slowly she could cook anger to make it worse than it was._

_Katsuki barely noticed through her veil, but couldn't react before the pastor turned to him…"And you, Katsuki, will you take Mio to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The pastor was clearly more comfortable. The candle had stabilized, a mildly relieved smile on his face. Katsuki's eyes glazed over, his mind clouded with thoughts of his beloved Mizuki. All the memories of her flew by his eyes in an instant. All the pain, happiness, suffering and joy flooded his mind and made him dizzy._

_"I do," he said, almost dreamily. Long ago, he had planned to take revenge on the Hongo family from the inside and this was his chance. To avenge his dead parents, he would do practically anything – even if he had to leave Mizuki behind. Even…if it meant Mio. Anything…Anything… _

_The crowd erupted in cheers behind them. Katsuki saw his bride's eyebrow twitch dangerously and suddenly, the whole place was so deathly silent you could hear a pin drop. He swore he heard an ant speak in fear as well. Hushed whispers continued in the church, but Mio couldn't care._

_Then was the exchange of the rings, carried by the best man. He was tall and violet-eyed, sending shudders down Mio's spine. It was as if they had met somewhere, a long time ago. Dusting it off, she turned to Katsuki, slipping the simple gold band onto his left hand. She recited the vow mechanically, not caring to stop. It was perfect, of course, she had spent forever memorizing it and finding the loopholes._

_She really didn't want to drag it longer than necessary, so she held out her hand within his reach. He, with equal speed, slipped the slimmer, sleeker gold band onto her finger. His vow was slightly slower, but spoken with equal confidence and perfection. He was perfectly robotic._

_The pastor was covered in cold sweat. "I-I now pronounce you…man and w-wife," he stumbled as Mio gazed on, thoroughly annoyed at his mistakes. "You may now kiss the bride."_

_She froze on the spot. The _kiss! _She had forgotten! Katsuki looked at her, wary of her situation. He slowly lifted her veil, letting it flutter down behind her head. For the first time, Katsuki got a good look at his wife…she was much more beautiful than he expected…even with the white scar on her face._

_He saw her widened honey eyes and mirrored her reluctance. He took a simple hold on her shoulders, but Mio just pulled away from his touch. However, after Mio's mother shot the girl a warning look, she took a step forward and folded her arms around herself._

_Again, Mio yelled at herself. _Why are you so weak? Stand up for yourself. It's not like they care about you_._ _But she couldn't say anything. _

_"We have to," he whispered to her. He knew this would happen. Why hadn't she refused it? Compromised? It was unlike her to be so willing._

_She shook her head violently. "I don't want…" For once in his entire life, he could have sworn she would cry._

_Katsuki cut her off. "One. Just one…get it over and done with."_

_She visibly relaxed. It was probably just his luck – she would never listen to him like that on normal circumstances. "Just one." She spat. It was no use arguing._

_He leaned in carefully and captured her lips in his for about five seconds, only to have Mio push _hard _and stumble backwards. Katsuki caught her hand to help her keep her balance, _

_"Don't push it." Her cold voice resounded through the church. "Just because we're married doesn't mean I'll ever love you." She ripped her hand from his, tearing the glove because his grip was so tight._

_With that, she turned on her heel and walked back down the aisle. "I'll see you in the car," she said, before storming out and slamming the door, all while maintaining a ridiculous amount of grace and poise._

_Katsuki only sighed as he watched her leave, one of the lilies fallen out of her hair. It sat sadly in the middle of the red carpet, as if willing him to chase her. This would be a very difficult wife…a very difficult marriage._

"And…cut!" Ogata snapped Ren and Kyoko out of their roles. "Mogami-chan, Tsuruga-kun, please go and change for scene 51!"

Kyoko had already run to her dressing room. The makeup artist quickly removed the red lipstick and started on her natural look. The hair stylist took the flowers out of her hair, letting the black hair fall to her shoulders.

Quickly, Kyoko changed into the next costume for the scene. The black, lacy dress cascaded down to her ankles. Without a glance into the mirror, she turned around and left the room, hurrying to the internal set of the Hongos' living room.

"Ah, Kyoko-chan! I'm glad you made it so quickly," Ogata gushed. "What a fantastic performance at the wedding!" Kyoko blushed and smiled modestly before taking her seat in the living room with a book on her lap.

"Okay! Lights, camera…Action!"

_Mio scanned the pages with frightening speed, her critical eyes picking out random details._ _The door opened, her mother slipping into the room silently. She sat opposite Mio on the couch, eyeing her daughter carefully._

_She cleared her throat. "Mio." She called. Her daughter raised her head, albeit reluctantly. "Please prepare for your wedding next week, to Yasukochi Katsuki." Mio's eyes went wide. _

_It processed fast in her mind. Katsuki. The man playing both her cousin and sister, both people she once admired with all her heart. If she even had one to speak of. He, her fiancé?!_

"_Mother, how could I marry Misao's fiancé? She will have a lot to say about this!" Rage dripped from her voice, although spoke calmly. _

"_It has been settled. Do as you are told," her mother spoke just as coldly._

_She could only stare blankly at the book while her mother stood and walked out of the room before any more protests could be made. Mrs. Hongo wasn't fast enough._

"_What would Yasukochi-sensei's parents have said about this? Marrying his student, nonetheless! What will society say about this? It will damage our name." Mio grinned to herself. Her mother could not counter that._

"_They made an agreement with us. You need a husband. He needs the money." She was flat, using short sentences to avoid putting too much detail into her speech. The Yasukochis only wanted the best for their son._

"_Doesn't it matter to you that he's only using me? He'll never…lo-lo-love me!" Mio shied away from the word. She didn't believe in it. No one _loved _her. Her mother didn't. Her father didn't. Surely, Misao and Mizuki didn't. He wouldn't ever._

"_Quiet. You are a high-class lady, you cannot speak back to your elders. How disrespectful!" She struck Mio, her nails leaving scratches in her white skin. Blood seeped out and slipped down her face like disconnected tears as a spring breeze blew in through the great windows, exposing Mio's scar._

_The look on her daughter's face sent her briskwalking away without a word._

"Cut!" the small director shouted. "It's a wrap!"

Kyoko was only eager to change out of her costume and go home, to avoid her senpai as much as possible. _He kissed me_, she muttered. She was in such a hurry that she even failed to hassle in switching out of Mio's character.

Her chest hurt thinking about it and she was breathing hard. "Oh no! It can't be! I have a cold?" she wailed. "I need to go home and rest!" But inside, she was thinking deeply. _What did it mean to him? It can't have been more than a stage job. So why am I feeling so unsure? I bet that this is what all co-stars go through. How pitiful….I feel your pain! _

Without hesitation, she jumped on her bike and cycled away towards the Darumaya. About two feet behind her, Tsuruga Ren skidded out of the building, his suit crumpled and unbuttoned, hand outstretched in her direction. "Kyoko!" he called.

She definitely didn't hear him. (She had probably made three streets away with the speed of her pedalling.) He sighed in defeat after trying to chase down the girl he loved and _apologize _for kissing her.

**Tabitha: **Ah, I'm so sorry that I've been away for SO LONG. This is actually reuploaded with hopefully more substance…and fixing a few plotholes for those awesome reviewers who've really helped me out. I've also tried to add more into Dark Moon itself, because it seemed lacking.


	4. What Love Really Is

**…****Tabby's back and ready to roll!~ Sorry I've been away SO LONG on Hiatus, been keeping up (barely) with my schoolwork…but anyway, Chapter 4 is here.**

Ren sat alone in the lift stairwell, his script lying abandoned beside him, flipped to the scene they were shooting that day. He rocked back and forth, his head held heavy in his hands due to a pool of emotions squirming about. He contemplated the reasons why Kyoko hadn't turned up at the set for the day's shooting yet – was she sick? Perhaps she had another job? Or was she incessantly disgusted with his behaviour the day before?

He exhaled slowly in a long and heavy sigh, trying to calm his nerves. 'I think I'm just overreacting,' he thought to himself. 'It isn't even time for work to start.' Closing his eyes, Ren went over his lines again once more, sifting through every emotion in each word, to bind Katsuki to himself once more.

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Kyoko hurriedly stepped inside the building at 7:59:59. She wasn't exactly early, but she wasn't "on-time", highly typical of her indeed. Sprinting up the stairs at top speed, she spotted Tsuruga-san at the top step, his legs easily covering the short flight of stairs he was sitting on.

She saw the frustrated aura emanating from him, swearing that the white walls were tinted with a greyish blanket of smoke. Quickly and silently she covered the distance between them, crouching down and placing a gentle hand on his forehead to check for a fever. Kyoko only remembered the flu incident too clearly to let it repeat itself.

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Ren jumped away from her out of sheer shock. As his focus adjusted, he saw Kyoko flinch, drawing her hand back into her lap. Both of them recovering from the general surprise, he decided to break the tense silence first. "Ah, Mogami-san, good morning," he greeted her with a smile.

She snapped back to her senses, jumping into a standing position before bowing deeply. "Good morning, Tsuruga-san! Please excuse me for startling you back there. I merely wanted to check if you were ill," she trailed off, hesitating for a moment with her brow furrowed. She didn't dare to voice her question but ended up spitting it out anyway. "You seemed…frustrated, senpai, what's the matter?"

He smiled reassuringly at her, not at all like the 'gentlemanly smile', which was too bright to bear. "It's nothing," he said, "don't worry about it. Ren was just happy to see her face, that she wasn't angry with him.

She offered him a nervous smile and helped him to his feet. It faintly reminded her of the scene they were filming that day – when Katsuki cries over his loss of Mizuki, who had committed suicide. Kyoko had spent days considering why Mio would have stretched her hand out to Katsuki – a man she hated to her core.

Ren and Kyoko set off towards the set together, discussing the scenes they had to film over the course of the next two days. She was ecstatic.

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There was a flash of black locks that made everyone on set freeze in ice. Mio was poised on a chair off set, confused and thinking hard. After a time skip in the series, Mio's short hair had lengthened into gorgeous ebony waves, but were always pulled away from her face to keep her scar in sight.

Katsuki gazed at her, sitting right beside, wondering what his wife was thinking. The ring glittered in the stage lights, reminding him all too clearly the contract they were bound in. He started to fiddle with the clasp of his belt, always wondering what to say to her. However, his mind was always clouded with Mizuki's face.

"Scene 56, everybody! We're ready for Katsuki and Mio!" Ogata's voice could be clearly heard in the studio, and the two actors, now in their normal states, ran to their spots on set, giving each other a quick smile.

_Katsuki slumped on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling fan rotating. The air blew gently on his face, pushing his hair away. His mind landed the news once more, like a blow to the gut – Mizuki had committed suicide that morning. _

_Almost involuntarily, tears started to roll down his face. He closed his eyes, letting all the pain and sadness flow out in his sorrow. He sobbed for his beautiful girl, his student, and most of all, his friend. He cried and cried, like he didn't have enough for her. And he missed the lighter footsteps that were barely heard over his weeping. _

_He got a clear, sharp slap across his face, springing his eyes open and reflexively restraining his attacker. As his vision cleared, he saw a trembling, pale hand tightly grasped in his. The blue diamond sat in the gold ring on this hand's finger. He followed the arm up to his wife's face._

"_Stop crying, it's weak," she shot at him, looking dead into his eyes. "It's not like she was important to anyone," continuing, she referred to Mizuki. Her hands were cold as she ripped them from him, clenching them into fists. "It's so weak," she repeated._

_Hongo Mio would know least about the importance of a person. She cried very rarely, being beaten and abused when she was younger. Tears, she learned, gained no one's sympathy and made you vulnerable. They were useless._

"_What would you know?" He stood to face her and she visibly backed under his towering figure. "What would _you, _of all people, know about love? And importance? Tears aren't a weakness. Mio, they're an expression. She meant everything to me!" He ranted on and on and only halted when he saw her eyes brimming, like he'd struck a nerve._

"_What…what is love, anyway? I've heard so much about it, what is it? A possession?" She muttered out bitterly. As she'd criticised him minutes earlier, her own tears stained her porcelain face as all the years of bottled up anger, hurt and sadness poured out. Her scar almost faded away as colour drained from her face. _

_Katsuki was visibly speechless. He'd never expected the cold, cruel Mio to know so little. He felt like he understood her behaviour just a little more, behind her bangs and relentless gaze. Instinctively, he reached out to wipe away the tears – he couldn't bear to see a girl cry. _

_She suddenly froze and became rigid, her back a straightening and her eyes froze over. Her aura suddenly seeped into the room and the atmosphere dampened. Her eyeliner was only ever so slightly smudged, but she didn't release her hold on Katsuki's concerned look._

_With all the pride she had left, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. Before she could get to the door, though, Katsuki had begun to play the piano, his face unreadable as he played "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" for her. He smiled at her, having caught her attention, and nodded towards her violin sitting in the corner._

_She was spellbound by the music, despite herself. It was the first time anyone had chanced over her favourite song. How did he guess? In her alarmed state, she failed to notice that she had moved closer to the piano. Slowly, she lost herself in the music, something she had always considered her friend._

_Suddenly, the music stopped. Mio was a little startled out of her trance, having rested herself on her elbows on the piano. Katsuki was staring at her scar and for the first time, Mio felt the need to flatten her hair over it. She stopped herself – when did she ever feel this self-conscious?_

_He chuckled a little and she felt practically insulted. But he reassured her, "I'm not laughing at you. But…tell me the truth about your scar. I know someone like you couldn't have been as careless as to fall down a hill that was conveniently covered in glass. You don't have to lie to me," he added, seeing her panicked face. "I won't ever tell anyone." She was backed up against a corner._

_He probably knew the truth in his heart. She made quick decisions in her mind, judging the consequences. In the end, she decided that he couldn't hurt her. So, she gathered up all her guts and courage – she needed to tell someone soon, anyway, before she lost her sanity._

_Crossing her arms, she managed a sentence or two. "Onee-sama pushed me down the hill…I fell on my violin strings." She spat each word bitterly, remembering the pain and the blood that flooded her mind. Misao's gold hair was imprinted in her mind, and her resentment of her sister's beauty plagued her once more._

_Katsuki muttered to himself. "How could she…her sister has been deprived of love, and she's making it worse." He knew, however, that Mio had refused to have her scar removed as the biting reminder of her past. She was thinking hard about his wrongdoings, all of a sudden, and closed off her heart._

_She pulled away from the piano, remembering her promise to herself. He had betrayed their family by two-timing two members of the prestigious Hongo family. He would eventually pay for making her so vulnerable._

_Wiping away the last of the tears, she slammed the door behind her._

"Okay, that's good, cut! Please call the actors for scene 87!" Ogata sounded elated as Ren and Kyoko cleared the stage to change for their next scene. Ren walked rather quickly, aiming to stay ahead of Kyoko. His mind was buzzing and completely full.

She had definitely shed real tears. And it had taken every fibre of his body not to reach out and hug her. She looked so open and fragile, what could she have been thinking of? Perhaps, it was Shotaro again…

Ren honestly couldn't believe that she was still so hung up over him, even though she denied it on a daily basis. It nagged him that another man was definitely dominating Kyoko's heart. All he wanted was to restore her happiness and let her know how he felt. _But how, _he thought as he lowered his head, bangs falling into his eyes. _I'll have to use Katsuki to get through to her…I wonder._

The next scene they were about to shoot continued on from the one they had just completed. So Kyoko's makeup was touched up, fake tearstains added. They were praising her for the dramatic reality she created with real tears. However, Kyoko was worried about the next scene, in the hallway set. There were only too many opportunities to trip and fall.

In this scene you could see Mio's feet as she lifted her skirt to climb stairs, so her shoes were made as simple and trip-free as possible. "Kyoko-sama, Ogata-sama is calling you," a pretty redhead stagehand came knocking. She looked familiar…

She shook it off and joined the cast on set. In this scene, her mother and father get involved. Therefore, her "parents" were standing just off set, preparing to enter at any minute. The scene would begin right before the end of the last one.

_Wiping away the last of her tears, she slammed the door behind her._

_Mio hurried down the corridor, trying to get to her room as soon as she can. She stopped, however, to glare at the mirror, fussing over her red eyes and tearstains. She smoothened out the rumples in her clothes and adjusts her posture. She knew a lady must be impeccably perfect._

_As she adjusts herself, her mother and father came walking down the hall. She could not have heard their light footsteps, turning around just in time to crash headlong into them. Her eyes darted between them, not saying a word._

_The silence is deathly as Mio and her parents have a stare-off of an abyssal intensity. She puts her hands behind her back on the table, inclining herself as far away from them as she can. Her father gives her a tight slap and rips open the door to the living room, seeming to already know someone is in there._

_Katsuki is braced, expecting his father-in-law already. He had sensed his cold presence as the older man flitted down the corridor._

**Hey there, everyone. This is the result of Tabby's writer's block. Sorry if it's not as good as the others, I tried. ;) I still welcome your awesome reviews, please give me all the constructive criticism you can!**

**If anyone's rereading this (thank you very much!) I fixed a few grammar errors in the second scene.  
**


	5. Learning to Help

**Chapter 5 – Learning to help.**

_**Uhm, gomenasaaaaaaai! I really should have updated this earlier, and it was sitting in my computer for the longest time doing absolutely nothing. **_

_** Thank you to everyone who helped with grammatical and spelling errors in the previous chapter! Love you guys! This was my second writer's block, which is really quite troubling on my part. **_

_** And so, we shall open the chapter. And please, leave me a review! I love reading your thoughts on the chapter, yeah? Thanks~ -- Tabitha.**_

_It had been a week in the drawing room already, locked up in the basement. Katsuki was more than restless, having any human communication only when he had his meals. He sat weakly on an armchair in the corner, twiddling the damned ring on his left hand._

_**"How dare you? Your wife has gained you status. Riches! You ungrateful brat, for disrespecting my daughter like that! Making a lady of such high standing cry, you are no gentleman of my family!" **__Her father's words seared through his head. Katsuki was bitter – her father didn't even care for his daughter. He knew all too well that all her father wanted was to find an excuse to knock him down._

_ He sat alone in the choking silence. Shivering again, he buried himself deeper into the threadbare furniture, finding his own warmth. In the pitch-black room, he had barely an inkling of his surroundings. The clock would chime every hour, nonchalantly informing him when the hours passed in slow motion._

_ He remembered when the light hanging lifelessly above his head was still working. Faintly imprinted in his memory was a portrait of a beautiful dark-haired woman with eyes of the strangest familiarity. They would bore into his skull with their intensity and depth– the painting was so real that he could have sworn she could move._

_ A light seeped under the door and his head snapped around to evaluate the presence. But if he had counted correctly, his next meal would be three chimes away. He wasn't even hungry yet. As the lock clicked open, he saw a trembling cloaked figure gripping a light, a pile of clothes and blankets with a white-knuckled grip, carrying a dim light._

_ The figure – who seemed to female – stepped in rather hesitantly and with an impeccable grace, constantly checking over her shoulder for anyone on her trail. Katsuki's mind leaps at the walk of his beloved, late Mizuki. It is exactly the same in pace, in style. Involuntarily, he leaps out and pulls off the ebony hood, revealing equally dark hair. His hair rose as he looked into the eyes of his wife._

_ The same piercing eyes as the lady's painting looked straight through him. _

_She was flustered and couldn't make proper eye contact. Tossing him the pile of clothes and blankets, she promptly sat down on a nearby chair, facing away from him. He eyed her carefully – she was behaving erratically again. The weak lighting illuminated her face as she stared into her lap. Looking down at the pile she had chucked at him, he saw the thick blankets he recognised, as well as –_

_ "Mio, these are our blankets. And you brought your father's clothes, too. You'll get in trouble…" he tailed off as he saw her straighten up, her face red. _

"_I know," she snapped. "But it doesn't matter. You shouldn't even be here, even my father knows that." Her hands were tense and clammy in her lap. Her words were jerky, her voice nervous. She knew that seeing him was wrong._

_Katsuki almost smiled. He knew how much courage it must have taken to gather up the heavy blankets of the bed and sneak down to see him, not to mention the strength gathered in her frail arms to carry them. "Thank you," he whispered to her. He could feel unexplainable warmth from her and in that second, he believed no one else could._

"_Why did you want revenge on us?" she carelessly blurted out. Her hands flew to her mouth; her eyes wide open in horror. _Shit, _her mind screamed, _I'm not supposed to know. _She was getting edgy and prepared to break into a run._

_His breath came to a standstill in his throat. She knew?! It couldn't be that she had told her parents, or he'd immediately get into serious trouble with a powerful family. Her look of terror gave away her intentions, though – she didn't want to expose him, she was rational enough to hear him out._

"_Your aunt, Mio, Mizuki's mother…is my own disowned father's sister." Just as she had thrown her story on the table, he smacked his down. "Your father's deeds are unforgivable, I hope you can understand."_

_She was taken aback at his honesty and eyed him wearily. Of course she had always known. He was out to get her father – the sole reason she never stopped him directly. They both hated him to no boundaries. They hated him and damned him to hell on a daily basis._

_And so she left him as is, thinking long and hard about what they had gone through. Just how similar were they in ideals? Just how much…did he know about her? Yet, she started to consider him one of her first possible allies. She was excited._

_In her room, she stroked their cat lightly. "He's really a strange one." She mused aloud. The emerald eyes just stared at her, a soft meow in response._

"Okay, cut…" The director was absolutely beaming. "Fantastic work, and all in one take. I'm so lucky to have both of you! " His smile seemed to envelop the room in a dose of sunshine.

Ren graced him with a smile. Kyoko grinned too, shaking out the heavy wig from her shoulders. The crew all started to whisper conspicuously about the "dream team" that Ogata had gained by chance. The response to their performance was excellent, even within the studios, expected to stomp the predecessor, Tsukigomori, to obli–

"_KYAAA!_" her scream ripped through the air. Kyoko's face was ghostly pale as she stared down at her arm, torn open by the angry cat in her lap. The crimson stained her dress as the wound bled profusely, while she barely stayed conscious with all her willpower.

The blood wouldn't stop, even with Ren at her side in an instant. She breathed heavily as she rested her weight against him, hardly able to sit up on her own. The crew stood by in shock, until he lost his temper and burst, "Well?! What the _**hell**_ are you all up to while she bleeds to death?!"

Gently shifting her to lie on his lap, he took his jacket and pressed it gingerly to the wound, wincing when Kyoko yelped in pain. Tears streamed down her face, silently telling of the turmoil in her limb. As the troubled director fumbled for his phone, she lost all consciousness to Ren's voice- "It's going to be alright, ok? Everything will be fine. Just stay with me."

* * *

Her dreams were infinitely filled with dreams of her childhood with Corn, her fairy prince, as he gave her wings to fly with him. She clutched his hand with all her might, begging him to stay with her forever, away from her mother, Shotaro, and from the pains she had learned of. Somewhere in the lands of rainbows and flowers, he only gave her his small smile.

_"It's going to be alright, ok? Everything will be fine." _ His voice was older, deeper, and she just couldn't put her finger on the familiar tones that flooded her mind. She saw him hold her beloved gem to his lips, and placed it back in her hands, closing them in his…

and then, he was gone.

* * *

Her eyes were blinded by the sunlight as she tried to open them, her body heavy and unmovable when she tried. She breathed slowly into the clean oxygen in her mask, looking for signs in her body that she was still alive and kicking. She could barely feel the needles in her arms, and the heavy bandage on her left. Aside, the warmth in her right hand calmed and soothed her as she closed her eyes once more.

However, her resistance to sleep made her glance towards her companion, only to find Ren asleep amidst her sheets, hanging on to her hand and with furrowed brows. He had only been the most worried person for her, along with her best friend Kanae. As she smiled involuntarily at his care for her, Kanae stepped slowly into the room, slowly shutting the door behind her.

As she saw Kyoko's open eyes, she whispered, "how are you feeling?" while she swept Kyoko's hair from her face. Gathering all her strength, she replied, "I can't really feel anything, but I'm all right." Kanae gently placed a hand on her bandages, sighing.

"It's really lucky that Tsuruga-san reacted so quickly to your injuries. He's been here for nearly a week and a half now…we were so worried you wouldn't wake, Kyoko." She ran her hand against Kyoko's cheek, just relieved she was alive. Pulling away from her, she said, "I'll get you some food. You must be hungry."

As soon as Kanae left, Ren stirred from his sleep. Kyoko just held onto him, squeezing his hand gently in hers. He opened his eyes slowly, almost deliberately, and stared into hers for a couple of seconds as their eyes locked dead. Then, he smiled in relief, getting to his feet.

"Hey, I'm glad you're ok." He muttered. "Can I get you anything?" He caressed her cheek and she flushed lightly. She was far too tired to reach out to him, much less to eat or drink."

Rolling over to her side, she whimpered. "I'm sorry I've messed up filming, Tsuruga…" before she could finish, she was hushed by his frustrated sigh.

"You know," he complained, "the least you could do is calling me Ren. And it's not your fault the cat turned on you, so it's fine." She blushed as she remembered passing out on him back at the studio, even if the details were hazy.

Resigning to his request, she held onto his hand tighter, not realising she hadn't let go. "Then, thanks very much for saving me, Ren. I appreciate it..." her eyes fluttered shut as she lost her will to stay awake.

She would never know how Ren kissed her cheek with all his love. Nor would she know how his chest tightened as she sighed– "Corn…you said I could stay with you forever…"


End file.
